Somerville Announces 5 Winners In First-Ever Participatory Budgeting

SOMERVILLE, MA — Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne on Tuesday revealed the five city improvement projects chosen for funding by residents during Somerville's first-ever participatory budgeting process.

According to the city, over 900 improvement project ideas were submitted for consideration.

The ideas were evaluated by budget delegate volunteers who worked closely with City staff to examine each idea based on need, impact, feasibility and cost. From there, 20 of the ideas made it to the final ballot.

Between Sept. 13 and Oct. 13, over 3,500 votes were cast by Somerville residents ages 12 and over, officials said.

According to officials, the total cost of the funded ideas is $955,000. The city will begin implementing the ideas this fall, though the more complicated projects will take longer to realize.

"I am thrilled to share the winning ideas from our first-ever participatory budgeting cycle," Ballantyne said in a statement. "The people of Somerville have made their voices heard, and their creativity and community spirit have shone through."

Ballantyne continued: "The winning ideas reflect the compassion and ingenuity that is so unique to our city, and I want to thank everyone who submitted an idea, voted, or helped get the word out to make this happen. I'd especially like to thank the budget delegate volunteers who devoted their time this summer to collaborating with City staff to present a thoughtful and impactful final ballot."

The five winning ideas are:

• Support Direct Community Food Access, Cost: $55,000 — The initiatives will redirect excess food to those in need.
• Bike Lane Acceleration, Cost: $250,000 — This will speed up the implementation of the Somerville Bicycle Network Plan.
• Bus Stop Improvement, Cost $200,000 — These funds will help improve access and the condition of areas around bus stops in the most heavily used corridors in Somerville, like Broadway, Washington Street and Somerville Avenue.
• Faster BigBelly Trash Can Adoption for Rat Abatement, Cost: $250,000 — This project will place additional BigBelly trash can units throughout the city to improve cleanliness and decrease the rat population.
• Keep it Cool in the 'Ville, Cost: $200,000 —This project includes the installation of shade structures for parks and public squares.

More information about Somerville's Participatory Budgeting can be found online.